Green Cart Hopefully to Become Mixed Organics Cart
May 15th, 2010
The City of Salem and Marion County will soon be considering expanding what can go into the current green yard waste cart. If approved by city and county leaders in upcoming public hearings, the yard cart will soon become the Mixed Organics Cart.
Every year, tons of what otherwise can be turned into useful compost ends up in our ever-growing landfill. The Mid-Valley Garbage and Recycling Association is proposing that Salem customers be allowed to expand the types of waste that can go into the current green cart. The Association projects that 6,000 tons of waste could be recovered each year under the new service!
These items would all organic food and yard waste including:
Breads/Grains
Coffee/Tea; Filters/Bags
Coffee/Tea; Grounds/Leaves
Dairy Products
Egg Shells & Bones
Fruits/Vegetables
Meats/Proteins
Paper Napkins/Towels
Pizza Boxes
Plants/Flowers
Seafood & Shells
Yard Debris
The Mixed Organics Cart would not include animal waste, foil, liquids, grease/oils, metal, personal hygiene products, plastic, plastic bags or utensils.
The new service would slightly increase (35 cents) the monthly charge for waste removal. It is anticipated to begin July 1, 2010 if approved by the City Council at their May meeting, and then by County Commissioners at their June 2 public hearing.
The City Council will be holding a public hearing on the new service this Monday, May 17 at 7:30 a.m. at Salem City Hall Council Chambers, 555 Liberty St., SE, Room 240. See the agenda here. If you cannot attend, please contact our Ward Councilor, TJ Sullivan, and ask for his support of the new program. His e-mail address is: tjsullivan@cityofsalem.net
And while you have your e-mail open, contact our Marion County Commissioners to ask for their support when they meet to consider the program in June. Commissioner’s e-mail addresses are here.
For more information, see the City’s proposal and the documentation for the proposed increase.
One Response to “Green Cart Hopefully to Become Mixed Organics Cart”
Larry May 15th, 2010 at 9:34 am #
Thanks for the article. We have this mixed organics cart recycling at our home in Snoqualmie, WA and it works great! They pickup the mixed organics cart every other week.